Apostle Paul Essay Research Paper The Apostle

Apostle Paul Essay, Research Paper The Apostle Paul was born around the year of 3 A.D. in the Jewish community of Tarsus. When he was born, his strict Pharisee parents dedicated him to the service of God and did all they could to bring him up as good Jew. From age five to ten he studied under his father, a Jewish Pharisee. His father taught him the scriptures and traditional writing. Paul was sent to Jerusalem at about ten years old to attend the rabbinical school of Gamaliel. Gamaliel was the most famous rabbi who is mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 5:34). Gamaliel soon discovered Saul was an enthusiastic student and expected great things from him. He felt that he would be a great leader. Saul was dedicated in all his learning that he captured the heart of his teacher.

He was a devoted student that had a real love for learning the scriptures and worship. When Saul was in his mid-twenties he went home to Tarsus. Saul left Jerusalem with the knowledge and experiences he learned from Gamaliel’s school. Saul did not believe Jesus was the Messiah because Jesus often denounced the Pharisees and seemed to oppose all their rules. He had once heard that Jesus taught the people to disobey the rabbis and had caused chaos in the synagogues. All true Jews accused Him as enemy of Israel. Saul believed that anyone who followed Jesus should be put to death. With this thought in mind he returned to Jerusalem and offered his service to the high priest to persecute anyone who is opposed to the way of the synagogue. Saul took his job so fiercely that every

worshipping assembly feared his name. He had a temper and was merciless. He was quick to punish. Saul literally dragged believers, cast them into prison, and sentenced them to death. Angered by his futile efforts to stop the spread of Christianity, Saul prepared a trip to Damascus, where he had heard many Christians were hiding. Not only were they hiding, they were also preaching Christ in the synagogues there. So, accompanied by a troop of armed temple guards, Saul rode out of Jerusalem to the city of Damascus. As they neared the outer edge of the city, a shaft of light much brighter than the noonday sun suddenly fell upon the little company. The group fell to the ground trying to protect their eyes from the blinding light. A voice from heaven spoke to Saul. “Saul, Saul, why

do you persecute me?”(Acts 9:4). Then Saul asked, “Who are you Lord?”(Acts 9:5) The voice replied, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute”(Acts 9:5). Then Saul asked what he should do. Jesus answered “But get up and go into the city, where you will be told what you must do (Acts 9:6). Saul was blinded for three days and neither ate nor drank during that time. In Damascus, there was a certain disciple named Ananias. The Lord came to him in a vision. In that dream the Lord commanded Ananias to look for Saul and put his hands on him that he may receive his sight. Ananias went out in the city of Damascus and found Saul. He did what the Lord told him to do, and Saul received his sight and was baptized. Saul was now a converted Christian. He would live a life for the

cause of Christ. In Paul’s Christology, resurrection and salvation is important. Paul has strong believes about it. Atonement is a death of Jesus. Jesus’ death had a lot of meanings and it was really important to human kind. Paul stated it clearly that Jesus died for our sins. ” People commit wrong actions, for which they require forgiveness or acquittal requires the sledding of blood”. When we were sinners, God got so angry to us. If the sin is worthy to death that means everybody has to die, but Jesus helped us by putting himself as a sacrifice. ” But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners, Christ died for us”. (Romans5: 8) We are protected by Jesus’ blood from the wrath of God. “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God